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This story was submitted to the People War’s site by Naomi Hoffman of CSV Media on behalf of Derek George and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

The first siren 3rd September 1939 — The day war broke out.
I was buying sweets with my pocket money for six pence a week. I could only spend four pence. The war had been announced and the siren went. The local cycling club were in the shop. We were told there would be heavy bombing and we were taken by the cycling club to the public shelter which is now the site of The New Shopper publishing newspaper. The all clear went within five minutes and it was a false alarm.

15th September 1940 Petts Wood Kent
The day they were meant to shot down 300 German Aircraft. We were on our way to buy some fruit trees on a Saturday afternoon. It was a crystal clear day without a cloud in the sky. We saw a column of German planes coming along. We went to shelter in the foyer of the local cinema, (which is now Safeways). The guns were firing at the plane with little effect. Then they stopped. All of a sudden our fighter planes came from nowhere. Everyone came out of the shops and was cheering like mad. I must have seen 10 planes shot down.

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